As a cast member at the Disneyland Resort, it’s rewarding to walk the property and see our guests enjoying our parks and hotels. It’s a testament to our founder, Walt Disney, who dreamed of a place that will always be bursting with happiness and imagination. It’s a tribute to our Imagineers who created and built a place filled with incredible experiences and adventures. And it’s an accolade to our cast members who deliver the magic each day and are dedicated to making lifelong memories for our guests.

Walking the resort last Sunday morning, I felt even more proud. That morning, the Disneyland Resort was full of children and families walking in support of CHOC Children’s. By 6 a.m., nearly 15,000 people lined Main Street, U.S.A. … spilling out of the turnstiles and filling the Esplanade and a good portion of the Downtown Disney District.

This is the 13th year that Disneyland Resort has hosted the annual CHOC Walk in the Park, and it keeps getting better. The route through both parks and the Downtown Disney District was peppered with character encounters, music and entertainment, all of which encouraged the boundless energy of the families and volunteers. It is very clear just how much CHOC Children’s means to our community.

I’m so proud of the work that CHOC Children’s has done over the past 50 years. I’m equally proud that the Disneyland Resort supported CHOC Children’s even before the hospital opened. Walt Disney was more than just the creator of Disneyland. He was instrumental in the founding of CHOC Children’s, leaving a legacy of compassion and a tradition of community support that still exists today.

I want to give a special thanks to my fellow cast members who came out by the hundreds to walk for this wonderful cause, as well as those who supported CHOC Children’s in other ways. I also want to recognize a fast-growing team of walkers made up of Disneyland Resort annual passholders. In just a few years, they have become the largest team of walkers in the entire event, raising more than $90,000 this year.

Finally, as a board member of CHOC Hospital, I want to thank all of you who took part in this year’s event. Because of your generosity, CHOC Children’s was able to raise more than $2 million this year. If you weren’t able to join us, you can still show your support for CHOC Children’s by going to www.chocwalk.org to make a donation.

Yesterday more than 100 Disney VoluntEARS and I joined folks from the city of Anaheim and the Anaheim Family YMCA for a KaBOOM! playground build at Modjeska Park. This was the fifth Orange County KaBOOM! project that the Disneyland Resort has been part of since 2011.

It is easy to see why these projects are a favorite among our Disney VoluntEARS. I think they remind us of the reason Disneyland was built nearly 60 years ago … as a place where children and their parents can play and spend quality time together.

It is amazing what a group of determined volunteers can accomplish in such a short amount of time. In just a matter of hours, a play area was filled with colorful, brand new equipment that children will be able to enjoy for years to come. And as we put the finishing touches on the slides and swing sets, I could already imagine the smiles and laughter that will soon fill this park.

KaBOOM! has a goal to build a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, and Disney has a dream of helping children and families create magical memories that last a lifetime. It’s a perfect match and a great win for our community. It was a hard, but fun day’s work for all who volunteered, and a lasting gift that will make this neighborhood a better place to live.

I’m so proud of our Disney VoluntEARS for donating their time for this terrific project … and grateful to have an organization like KaBOOM! to lead the way!

Our founder, Walt Disney, left us with an amazing legacy of making dreams come true, not only for our guests in our parks but also for those who live in our community. One of his most meaningful contributions was supporting the development of CHOC Children’s Hospital in the early 1960s, and it is with tremendous pride that we continue our support for CHOC more than five decades later. As the new president of the Disneyland Resort and a new CHOC board member, I’m looking forward to participating in my first CHOC Walk in the Park and welcoming thousands of walkers, cast members and volunteers to the Disneyland Resort on October 13.

To date, this event has raised more than $21 million, funding health care programs, education and research projects that bring comfort and new hope to families throughout Southern California. If you haven’t participated with us before, and you’re going to be in the neighborhood in mid-October, sign up and walk with us. Just imagine the sight of so many people walking the entire Disneyland Resort (both parks and the Downtown Disney District) for such a great cause. Of course, we’ll add some special Disney touches along the route that will make the event even more fun.

Registration for this year’s CHOC Walk in the Park is open and teams have already begun to form. There is more information at www.chocwalk.org. Thanks for your support – and see you there!

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